One of "I Carri" for the Santa Lucia celebration in Belpasso/ Uno dei carri per la festa di Santa Lucia a Belpasso

Saint Lucia is one of the most famous female saints in both the Catholic and Protestant world, and her saint day is celebrated throughout the world, especially in Italy and in Scandinavian countries. Lucia’s name means “light” and it is no coincidence that her celebration lies on the date of the winter solstice on the old, Roman calendar. Pre-christian solstice traditions blended together with her commemorative holiday, creating a blend so common throughout the world. In the depth of winter, she is a beacon of hope and illumination to a dark world.

On the eastern side of the island, the small town of Belpasso celebrates her as their patron saint and spends three days honoring her with glorious festivity. Belpasso lies at the foot of Mt. Etna, and was devastated several times by her temperamental eruptions. The citizens venerate Lucia, believing she protects them from Etna’s lava and provided the town’s rebirth.

For months, members of the town, young and old, come together in four teams to construct “I carri,” which are grand, portable art installations that are unveiled in a dramatic performance on the nights preceding December 13th, in honor of Saint Lucia. Each team designs a narrative theme, translating her story for new generations, and displaying it through all types of creative medium, from painting to video production. The scripts of their performances demonstrate how her legacy lives on and continues to shed light upon the particular points of darkness of our modern world, from poverty to racism to sexual violence. At the end of each performance, as the grand crescendo, the sky erupts with fireworks, signaling the hope and joy Lucia instills.

We went to Belpasso for two and half days to film the two nights of festivity on the 11th and 12th of December and the morning ceremony on the 13th of December. During the nighttime, we joined the throngs of people to watch and film the performances and cheer along with the community as they shouted "Cittadini: Viva Santa Lucia" (Citizens: Long live Santa Lucia).

The whole town comes out for the festivities/ L'intera città viene fuori per la festa

Fried street food for the festival/ Crispelle per la festa

As a student of theology, I found the entire event an incredible example of applied Catholic theology. The thematic scripts of i carri, or floats, were carefully written, a mix of conservative piety and liberal progressive thought. These type of Christian festivals, imbued with so much enthusiastic creativity, are difficult to find in the United States.

Throughout the two days, starting at 5am, loud bells rang every hour and explosive bangs of firecrackers erupted, to excite the town.

During the day, we went to the workshops of the community teams that make "i carri" and interviewed the leaders of the projects. They spoke to us about the importance of this ritual in their community. They recounted that it is a wonderful source of communal pride and that it gets teenagers involved in positive art-based work. They work almost year round on "i carri," as each team constructs an entirely new one every year. Artists, mechanics, and unspecialized community members all volunteer hours and hours of their time to the project. Though the ritual doesn't directly relate to food, we found it so striking and unique that we had to include it, as evidence of the strength of a festival like Santa Lucia Day.

The morning of the 13th, at 8am, we rolled out of bed to catch the early morning mass. The church was packed to the brim with people. I was taken aback that their commitment was strong enough to propel them to church so early in the morning, after the late night festivities the previous evening. There was a procession of Santa Lucia's statue and a time of communal prayer for Belpasso and its citizens. I left with the profound sense that Santa Lucia has become so much more than an historical saint to the community--she has become a large part of communal identity itself for Belpasso.

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ABOUT US

This film project is produced by the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School in the heart of Sicily. We hope to chronicle the many saint festivals in Sicily and how they support slow food cultures on the island. We anticipate that it will hit film festivals and be available for sale in 2015. This website and blog are to chronicle our progress for our financial supporters, followers, and friends.